Crossing finish line first in Sanford not a Saratoga win

Updated 12:10 am, Sunday, July 26, 2015

#11 Uncle Vinny with jockey John Velazquez, left was placed first after #4 Magna Light with jockey Jose Ortiz, right was disqualified and placed third in the 101st running of the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga Race Course this afternoon July 25, 2015 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

#11 Uncle Vinny with jockey John Velazquez, left was placed first after #4 Magna Light with jockey Jose Ortiz, right was disqualified and placed third in the 101st running of the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga Race ... more

For the group gathering in the winner's circle following the 101st running of the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga late Saturday afternoon, jubilation quickly turned to disappointment. Meanwhile, up in a private box on the second floor across from the finish line, frustration became happiness and glee.

So were the emotions at the Spa following the first major stakes race for 2-year-old colts.

Magna Light, the 13-1 long shot winner, was disqualified and placed third following his zig-zagging run through the stretch. That action made a winner out of Uncle Vinny, owned by Starlight Racing. The managing partners of the group are Duanesburg's Barbara and Don Lucarelli and Jack and Laurie Wolf of Louisville, Ky., and Saratoga Springs.

Following the disqualification, Michael Dubb, one of the owners of Magna Light, went off. He said his horse was taken down because his trainer, Rudy Rodriguez, is a native of Mexico.

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"There is a different set of standards in racing for Rudy Rodriguez," Dubb, also a member of the New York Racing Association's Board of Directors, said standing next to his trainer outside the winner's circle. "Maybe because he is Mexican. He is picked on. He is being held to a different set of standards in racing all together and is being treated unfairly. It's not good, but it's the world we live in."

Rodriguez, 43, has served suspensions — 25 days in February and 20 days in 2013 — after his horses were found to have banned substances in their systems. The former jockey, who used to work for trainer Rick Dutrow (who is serving a 10-year suspension for having multiple banned substances found in his horses), began training on his own in 2010.

At the 2013 Kentucky Derby, the stall of Vyjack, Rodriguez's Derby horse at Churchill Downs, was equipped with a closed circuit camera so all activity could be monitored. That was the only Derby horse officials kept an eye on.

Rodriguez was upset as he left the winner's circle. Magna Light, who won the race by three quarters of a length over Uncle Vinny, bore out inside of the eighth pole and then ducked back in before going onto the win. It didn't appear he bothered anyone, but rider Kendrick Carmouche claimed foul, saying Magna Light impeded his progress. And there was a steward's inquiry.

"I didn't see anything," Rodriguez said. "There was no contact. Did you see anything? I am disappointed by this. I thought (the stewards) would look at it, but I never thought they would take him down."

When asked if he thought he was being singled out, Rodriguez shrugged.

"Listen, it is what it is," he said. "I don't know what the reason would be. I just try to do my job and work hard."

John Durso, the director of communications for NYRA, said there would be no comment forthcoming on Dubb's statements.

Don Lucarelli said he felt bad for the connections of Magna Light, but was not about to give back the Sanford win. He said the colt, named for a friend of his and Wolf's in Louisville (Vinny Tatum, who was at the race), would be pointed to the Hopeful on Labor Day, the final day of the meet.

The winning time of the Sanford by Magna Light and jockey Jose Ortiz was 1:10.92. But, in the end, Magna Light was not the winner.